Lara Croft is back in action – this time with Amazon.
Amazon Games and game studio Crystal Dynamics, developer of the long-running “Tomb Raider” franchise, have announced an agreement under which Crystal Dynamics will develop a new multi-platform title in the series, with Amazon Games “providing full support and publishing the game globally.”
For now, details are scant: The next “Tomb Raider” game has no name or target release date. The companies said it would be a single-player, narrative-driven adventure that “continues Lara Croft’s story” and will be set in an environment that “rewards creative exploration and research, with mind-boggling puzzles to solve, and a variety of enemies to encounter and overcome.” Crystal Dynamics is developing the game on Unreal Engine 5 from Epic Games.
“Tomb Raider is one of the most beloved IPs in entertainment history,” said Christoph Hartmann, Vice President of Amazon Games, in a statement. “Our team is very excited about collaborating with the talented and visionary team of Crystal Dynamics to bring the next chapter of the Lara Croft saga to players around the world.”
Square Enix, which previously published the “Tomb Raider” games, sold Crystal Dynamics to Sweden’s Embracer Group in May 2022.
“Crystal Dynamics has an exceptional opportunity following our acquisition by Embracer to redefine the publishing relationship for ‘Tomb Raider,’” added Scott Amos, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Change is what we’re looking for, and with Amazon Games, we’ve found a team that shares our creative vision, ambitions and values for the Lara universe. Croft across a range of possibilities.”
Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider franchise includes more than 20 video games, which have sold more than 95 million copies since the first release in 1996. The latest installment, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”, marks the conclusion of the Lara Croft origin story.
The upcoming “Tomb Raider” title is the next initiative for Amazon Games’ growing list of externally developed titles, following the February 2022 release of “Lost Ark,” developed by Smilegate RPG. Other recently announced projects include “Blue Protocol,” with Bandai Namco announcing it last week at the Game Awards; Disruptive Games’ upcoming multiplayer online action-adventure game based on the original intellectual property; and an online collaboration experience based on Glowmade’s original IP, from Guildford, England.
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